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June 14, 2012

Courrier: Golf is more exciting with an even field

By Chad Courrier Free Press Staff Writer

— Five years ago, Tiger Woods was the prohibitive favorite every time he stuck a peg into the ground, especially in the major golf tournaments. If he had a rival, it was Phil Mickelson, the good cop to Woods’ edgy, sometimes surly personality.

But as this summer’s U.S. Open began Thursday, Woods is no longer a good bet against the field. Instead, he’s become one of a dozen or so players who could win the second leg of the Grand Slam.

And Mickelson is no longer Woods’ main rival. Woods’ toughest opponents are attitude and the constantly evolving golf swing, and the list of players that can beat him is nearly as long as the tee sheet.

Which makes this a more interesting tournament.

The USGA was brilliant in putting Woods, Mickelson and Bubba Watson in the same group for the first two rounds. It’s possible that this is the first time that Woods was not the most popular player in his pairing, as Watson’s appeal has grown exponentially since winning the Masters a couple of months ago and Mickelson is always a big hit with the fans.

It seems to have brought out the best in Woods, while Watson, who hasn’t played much golf in the last two months, and Mickelson struggled.

The field has become so much more compact since Woods’ personal life exploded. You can now debate who should be the favorite in major tournaments, and the list seems to be getting longer. Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood usually have as good a chance of winning as Woods, though not after Thursday’s opening round.

It makes the tournament more interesting to watch. TV ratings support the claims that a lot of viewers only watch when Woods plays or contends, but for fans of the game, it’s a lot more appealing when the leaderboard is tight, filled with stars and a couple of unknowns.

Matt Kuchar is the even-keeled, straight-hitting type that should be able to withstand this test. The same could be said for Jim Furyk, though at 42, he may not have the legs to withstand the 72-hole grind.

Hunter Mahan has had an outstanding start to the 2012 season. Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell are players who show up in big spots. Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Dufner are two lesser-known players that struggled some in the opening round, but they could be there on Sunday. Oosthuizen nearly won the Masters, while Dufner has been the best player over the last two months.

Anyone ever heard of Michael Thompson? You have now.

Woods is still a very good player, but the gap between him and the field is gone. It’s now even on the first tee, and few people fear getting paired with him on the weekend.

It’s a lot more fun this way.



Chad Courrier is a Free Press staff writer. To contact him, call 507-344-6353, e-mail at ccourrier@mankatofreepress.com, check out his local sports blog or follow his Twitter feed @ChadCourrier.

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